DJ Lynnée Denise Joins Chuck D and Local Activists at USC

DJ Lynnée Denise grew up on the radical sounds of Public Enemy, so imagine her surprise when USC Law Professor Jody Armour invited her to participate, both as a DJ and contributing panelist (from the tables), to discuss “What Cannot Be Said: Freedom of Expression in a Changing World.” The panel included a range of artists, activists, and scholars all using their work to inspire critical consciousness about the history of music, the role that activism plays in shaping popular culture, and the importance of reviewing hip-hop lyrics as readable text to understand important perspectives—from the streets to the academy. Panelists included Chuck D from Public Enemy, Dr. Melina Abdullah (Black Lives Matter LA) and Chair of the California State University Los Angeles Pan African Studies Department, Leila Steinberg and Erik Nelson. The panel discussion addressed the history of resistance through subversive hip-hop, calling on audience to consider the importance of using your art to promote social change. Members of the Zulu Nation (Afrika Bambatta), were among the highly engaged audience. This event took place Sunday January 24, 2016.

Leeway Welcomes DJ Lynnèe Denise to Philly

In December, Leeway and Girls Rock Philly presented Movement Building through MixedTape with DJ Lynnèe Denise. In the class, participants were introduced to “DJ Scholarship”, a practice that shifts the role of DJ as purveyor of party music to archivist and cultural worker who collects, preserves, and performs the history and music of marginalized communities and their movements. Lynnèe broke down the creation of her project, Afro-Digital Migration: House Music in Post Apartheid South Africa. She explored how house music took root in South Africa and shaped its national identity in defiance of and resistance to apartheid. Workshop participants learned how to create a mixed tape as a cultural project, and discussed the process including documentation, podcasting, publishing and communicating the social value of your project for funding. The class took place Sunday, December 6 from 10:00am-12:00pm at Mastery Charter School (927 Johnston Street).

Additionally, Leeway invited DJ Lynnée Denise to participate in a panel review for the annual Transformation Award. Here are the Leeway Transformation Award Grantees!